From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Tension is rising in Iwollo Omashi kingdom, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, as some aggrieved youths accuse their traditional rulers and leaders of corruption and failure to protect the people’s interests in a mining deal.
The kingdom, made up of four autonomous communities, Iwollo Omashi, Aguobu Iwollo, Owolloti Iwollo, and Amagu Iwollo, has been divided following allegations by members of the Iwollo Youths General Assembly.
The youths are pointing fingers at their traditional rulers and Presidents General, accusing them of mismanaging the royalties and benefits from a mining company, Rayting Industry Global Ltd.
The dispute stems from an agreement signed in 2022 between the host communities and the mining company, following the discovery of mineral resources in Iwollo.
According to the youths, the agreement included commitments to sink a water borehole with 2000-gallon capacity, establish a skills acquisition centre, construct a basic health centre, grade and laterite local roads, and award scholarships to at least five brilliant or indigent students.
But the youths claim the company has failed to keep its promises, despite repeated letters urging action. One such letter, they said, was dated February 24, 2025.
Tensions escalated when the youths accused the traditional rulers and Presidents General of receiving a N3 million bribe from the company in the first quarter of 2025.
They also alleged that Rayting Industry Global Ltd had handed over the mining site to another firm, Afrimetals Trading Ltd, without community consent.
In a letter to Governor Peter Mbah, dated May 16, 2025, the youths passed a vote of no confidence on two monarchs, Igwe Raph Okolo and Igwe Augustine Odezulu, and their respective Presidents General, Emma Ilochi and Paschal Ijegalu. The letter, which had over 100 signatories including Chinedu Inyiama and Uhama Stanley, urged the governor to wade into the matter.
As tensions grew, women aged 50 and above staged a solidarity protest on April 28, marching through the villages to back the youths’ call for accountability.
The youths also called on Governor Mbah to dissolve the existing leadership and oversee a process for electing fresh leaders. They argued that continuing to fund the current community executives would be a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Reacting to the allegations, the traditional ruler of Iwollo Omashi, Igwe Raph Okolo, denied any wrongdoing. Speaking on behalf of the community leaders during a press conference in Enugu, he described the Iwollo Youths General Assembly as a group of “dissidents” bent on destabilizing the community.
He said: “The only known youth group in the town, as recognized by all the town unions, the Local Government Area, and the state government, is the Iwollo Youths Council.
“We, as the community leaders, can never circumvent developmental projects coming to our community for whatever reason. So, the allegations and misinformation were intended to bring the leadership of the community to disrepute before the right-thinking members of the public.”
Igwe Okolo also clarified that the delay in project execution was due to the sealing of the mining site in 2023. According to him, the state government only recently unsealed the facility, allowing operations to resume in October 2024.
“We had a CDA agreement with the company in 2022, which never came to light until recently when the company started their operations in the community. It was initially sealed in 2023 but unsealed just recently by the state government and they commenced operations in October last year.
“As we’re talking to you now, the company is about completing three of the boreholes in three communities. They first of all started by grading of the community roads to make it motorable and all that,” he added.
On its part, Afrimetals Trading Ltd also denied any wrongdoing. The company’s Human Resources Manager, Ahmed Lawal, said no money had been given to community leaders and confirmed that work was already ongoing in line with the Community Development Agreement.
He said: “We have commenced work on sinking boreholes and other projects promised in the Community Development Agreement (CDA).”
